Star Crossing
by PKMN Trainer White
Summary: Life is bleak for Touko, a student at Smogon University, until she meets Touya. Chessshipping Touko X Touya .
1. Chapter 1

Touko

It was another bitter day in November. I was preparing to depart for Smogon University. I stood clutching my books with the freezing gales nipping at my jacket. The street was mostly empty. A few people, some students, were darting here and there, attempting to escape the wind. I judged it safe to cross the street.

The mammoth pillars of the great hall stood before me. I shoved open its doors, and was greeted with a rush of warm air. I sighed as I relaxed her muscles, only to tense up again when I looked at my watch.

"Ah! 7:25!" I cried. "There are only 5 minutes before class starts!" I hopelessly scrambled down the vacant hallway. It was no use. Breeding was on the opposite side of campus. I would be lucky to make it in seven minutes. When I arrived at the door, I found it to be locked. I vigorously knocked on the door. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, a tired old man with a worn face and stained shirt came to the door.

"Ms. Touko?" he asked after opening the door. "Late again?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Sumrak. I-"

"No, no, don't give me another excuse. I'm sure I've heard it before. Here at Smogon University, we expect our students to be on time to class. You can't keep being late. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dr. Sumrak," I replied, a guilty expression sweeping across my face.

"Good. Consider yourself lucky I don't punish you. Now, please take your seat. You've already wasted enough of my time."

I briskly paced to a vacant desk on the right side of the room close to the back. I produced my tattered notebook from my handbag. The professor resumed his speech about the mineral egg group. My thoughts wandered off immediately at the sound of his droning voice. I began daydreaming of my goal to be the champion of the Pokémon League. If I were champion, nobody could push me around. I would be the greatest Pokémon trainer in all of Unova. I would make the rules. Nobody could tell me what to do. I would tell others what to do. Someday, I thought.

A sharp smack of a ruler on my desk jerked me back to reality. I jumped in my seat, knocking my notebook to the ground. A ripple of laughter spread across the room. A sharp glare from Dr. Sumrak silenced them. He turned back to me. "Ms. Touko! Are you paying attention?" the professor asked.

"Y-yes, sir," I stammered.

"Really? I find that hard to believe." My face flushed red with embarrassment. I knew what was coming next. "If you were listening, can you tell me what I was just saying?"

"Yes…" I trailed off. What had he been saying? I was clueless. I took my best guess. "You were talking about inherited IVs of baby Pokémon whose parents held a power bracer while breeding." The classroom erupted in laughter. I was completely wrong. I screwed up my lips and glanced down at the floor. My face resembled the color of a beet. The professor cracked a smile.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Touko, but that is incorrect. I was teaching the class about Pokémon in the mineral egg group. You were supposed to be taking notes." He paused for a second to silence the class. "Ms. Touko, why don't you tell the class which Pokémon in the mineral group are also in another egg group? Would you please write them down on the whiteboard?" I made my way to the front of the room, my classmates watching me as a cat stalks prey, waiting for me to slip up so they could assail me. I shut them out of my mind and focused on recalling the Pokémon. I knew Dwebble and Crustle were in the bug group as well as the mineral group. I also recalled Cofagrigus as being in another one. There were more, but my memory failed me. I turned around with the three names written on the board, ready to die of embarrassment. Dr. Sumrak ambled over to the board.

"Not bad, Ms. Touko. You only forgot six of them." My face reddened again. The professor scribbled the other names below mine. "Ms. Touko," he started. "I am very concerned about you. You need to pay attention in my class. Even though you may not like it, I am your teacher and you are my student. You are expected to learn what I am teaching you. Don't be surprised when this semester is over and you have to come back here next year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be mean to you. I think you are perfectly capable of passing, if you put your mind to it. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," I replied, too ashamed to show my face.

"Now sit down and pay attention."

I was only too happy to return to my seat and not be the center of attention anymore. I hate it when people mock me. When the bell rang, I sped out of the classroom. My next class was Team Building, and that professor was even more obnoxious than Dr. Sumrak. I dreaded the class more and more as I neared it. Suddenly, the thoughts in my head reached a fever pitch. I decided that I wouldn't be humiliated again. I darted down the hallway in the opposite direction of my next class. Smogon University was very strict about skipping class, but right then I didn't care. I kept running away. Before I was aware of it, I had reached the end of the hallway. I rounded the corner, and slammed right into another student. We both fell to the floor, along with the other student's books. I recovered, and found myself lying on the other person. I began apologizing profusely, but stopped when I removed the book covering the person's face. I was dumbfounded. Laying on the floor below me was an extremely handsome boy. He had chestnut-brown hair, deep auburn eyes, and sported a black jacket, khaki pants, and a blue scarf around his neck. I was staring into his eyes, made speechless by his looks. I had never seen such an attractive boy before. He was gazing back into my eyes. I completely forgot about my frustration of being mocked as I stared at the boy. Cupid's arrow had pierced my heart. We stayed there for a few seconds, examining each other. They the boy's expression quickly changed to annoyance, and he made to get up.

"I- I'm sorry!" I said. "I didn't see you there." I got off him and gathered his books. He didn't reply. "Here you go." I handed him his books. He turned and went down the hallway. His fascination had completely dissolved. I had never loved anyone before, not this quickly. Now, he was leaving me. I didn't know what to do.

"Wait!" I called. He stopped, but didn't turn around. I caught up to him. He looked at me, still with a slightly annoyed look on his face, waiting for me to say something. I was horrified when I realized that I had nothing to say to him. I had acted rashly, just to stop him from leaving. I quickly thought up something to say to break the silence. "Um… what's your name?" I asked.

I bit my tongue. I had said the wrong thing. It was obvious that I liked him. His expression did not change. He waited a few seconds before shortly replying, "Touya." Then he walked on. I had made the mistake of revealing to him that I liked him. And now he was leaving again! I shouldn't say anything so that the situation wouldn't get more awkward. But I couldn't let him go!

"Wait!" I called again. Touya whirled around.

"What?" he demanded.

"I… um… where are you going?"

He hesitated. "To class."

"Yeah… uh… so was I. Uh… what class do you have?"

"C-A-P Mechanics and Evaluation."

I stopped short. CAP stands for Create a Pokémon. That class was only available to upperclassmen. He was a senior! I had no chance with him. I should just stop talking and keep going to class. But something told me to press on.

"You mean Create a Pokémon? That sounds hard."

"Yes. I really need to go now." He turned around again. I was losing my chance.

"Touya! Hold on!"

"**What?**"he snarled, whirling around again.

"Uh… um… what's your last class?" I was desperate.

He grunted. "Metagame Analysis and Prediction. Room 2018." Then he was gone. I tore out a page from my notebook and frantically wrote down the room number. Just then, the bell rang. I sighed and entered Team Building. The professor greeted me with another speech about my tardiness. I tried my best to look like I was working. Touya haunted my thoughts for the rest of the day. He must hate me. I had knocked into him, made awkward conversation, then made him late for class. Besides, he was a senior and I was a sophomore. No self-respecting upperclassman would be caught with me. But-! The way he had looked into my eyes had told me that he liked me. He had quickly covered up his expression, so maybe he was hiding his feelings. Besides, why had he given me the room number of his last class? Maybe he wanted me to meet him there? Yes! I would go see him immediately after school was over. But if not, then I would make things worse. But what would I do then? I had to see him. I had no other choice. It would be worth a try. With the last bell of the day having sounded, I dashed for room 2018.


	2. Chapter 2

Touya

_I pulled that off with aplomb. I was afraid I would slip up and reveal my own attraction to her. Another second and I would have. She made me late for class, but that didn't matter. I'm feeling a strange sensation – I guess some call it attraction. I never really felt this way before. All the other girls that chased me – scores of them – never ignited any passion in me. But Touko – I learned her name from the binder that fell on me – there's something different with her, something more… striking. She's very pretty, but that isn't exactly it. I can't really put my finger on it. But for the first time in my life, I'm in love._

_And I can't let Touko know that._

_Why? Well, even with all my infatuation, I still need to make sure she's right for me. She's in love with me, there's no question about that. But before I begin a relationship, I need to know if it's going to last. Something tells me it will, but I need to validate it instead of relying solely on gut instinct. I need to get to know her first._

_But I'm afraid to do that. For some reason, I'm afraid of being around girls I like. It's irrational I know, but whenever I'm around them I sort of lock up and have a difficult time saying anything. Earlier today, I played it off as sort of annoyed and uninterested, but that won't work every time. I need to think of a way to meet with her and forget that she's gorgeous so I can talk to her naturally. Tough chance. It's the last class of the day, five minutes before the bell rings to dismiss us. I know Touko will zip down the hall straight to this class, eager to talk to me again. If she does that, I'm bound to slip up and show her that I like her. I have a plan. A really bad one, but it will have to do._

"Mr. Hortensky?" I queried.

"Yes, Touya?"

"I need to be excused to the bathroom."

"The bathroom? Can't you wait for five minutes?"

"Please, sir. It's an emergency." In a way, it was.

"Fine, go." He motioned with his hand towards the door.

"Thank you, sir." I sped out the door and down the hallway to a beat-up door on the left. 'Men' a battered sign above it read. I entered and relieved myself. Afterwards, I pretended to be texting until the bell sounded. "And here we go," I thought to myself.


	3. Chapter 3

Touko

'Go. Go! GO!" I shoved my way through the crowds of students as I rushed upstairs towards Touya. Some of them cursed at me. I didn't care. I had to, _had to _get to Touya's class before he left. I had no idea what I would say, but that could wait. All that matters now is to get to that class!

I made it to the end of the hall, sprinted across the catwalk, up a flight of stairs, into another annex, and took the left hallway. When I got there, I let out a sigh of relief. Only a few students populated the hallway. The rest began to pour out from room 2018. I scanned the crowd, but there was no sign of Touya. While I waited, I began to think of what I would say to him. First, apologize for making him late. Then, ask him a little about himself. That should be good for a start.

Suddenly, my heart sank. Something was wrong. All of the students had left the room, but none were Touya. Had I missed him? No. That wasn't possible. I had looked at every person leaving the room. I peered into the class to see if he was still in there. No luck. Only the teacher was there, scribbling something on a post-it. I stepped into the room, not sure what to do.

The teacher looked up when he heard my footsteps. "Can I help you?" he asked, adjusting his spectacles on his nose.

"Um, yes, is this Metagame Analysis?"

"Can't you read?" he said, jabbing a finger at a sign by the door, reading 'Metagame Analysis and Prediction.'

"Ok good, um..."

"Is there anything else?"

"Do you have a student named Touya?"

"Touya? Of course I do! He's the best student that's ever set foot in this class!"

"Really? Where is he?"

"Gone, I guess."

"But I didn't see him leaving!"

"He had to use the bathroom five minutes before class let out."

I just have the worst luck. I meet the boy of my dreams, make him hate me, then lose my last chance of making up for it. How could this day get any worse?

"Miss, did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked why you're still here."

"Oh. No reason. I'll leave now."

I tried to forget about the whole incident with Touya as I walked to my car. My chances of hooking up with him are gone, so why still think about him? I should just move on, keep living as if I had never met him, remain the stupid single girl who everybody hates and gets picked on. It's not like I could ever get someone as good as Touya-

I had reached the parking lot when my heart instantly froze. A car drove in front of me. The driver was none other than Touya. As he drove past, he looked straight at me. But this time, it wasn't a hostile look like before. It was a soft, friendly look that told me everything. He didn't have any hard feelings about our incident in the hallway. He didn't hate me for being so annoying and nosy. He wanted to start off with a clean slate, and he wanted to be friends.

My day was effectively turned around. I started planning my conversation with him tomorrow while I drove home. I imagined meeting him in the same place in the hallway, asking him more about himself, maybe having lunch together, talking about school and Pokemon, and so many other things. I barely slept that night, because I was mostly fantasizing about tomorrow. Finally, I slipped away into blissful dreams of Touya and I going on dates in Nimbasa Park, riding the Ferris Wheel up, up, up...


	4. Chapter 4

Touko

My heart was racing again. Yesterday I had felt at ease; I had felt that Touya and I would meet again and all would be fine between us. But now that feeling was gone, and once again I was nervous. I had thought everything out last night, and it all seemed fine, but now that it was actually time to do it I couldn't bear the pressure. In just a few minutes, I would be talking again to the tall, handsome, chocolate-haired boy that haunted my dreams. What if I messed up? Everything would be ruined. I could never talk to him again. The awkwardness would be too much to handle. I had to, _had to_ do it right. This was my last chance.

I took a deep breath and went over everything in my mind again. I would walk up to him, apologize, and ask to start over. If he agreed, I would introduce myself, tell him a little bit about me, then ask him about himself. From there on, we would keep getting to know each other until we had to go to our separate classes. I would meet him again after school and continue the discussion. From there, I would play it by ear. We should be far enough along to still have something to talk about. There would be no more awkward silences.

The steel shreek of the bell tore me from my seat. Before Dr. Sumrak could finish his sentence, I was gone. I sprinted down the same hallway that I had yesterday, but for very different reasons. I came to the end, and took a left. There I stopped to catch my breath. He should be here any second. I could hear my heart thumping out of my chest. A few blonde girls chattered by, several tall men with beards strode past... there!

Around the corner came Touya, his face as expressionless as yesterday. I ran up to him. His eyes caught mine. I opened my mouth to speak, and I was horrified when nothing came out. I tried and tried, but I could say nothing. "Shit!" I thought to myself. "I'm ruining it!" He was still staring at me, eyebrows raised, waiting for me to make the first move. I forced the words out of my mouth.

"Touya," I said, "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn't mean to do any of that. I know I probably made a bad impression on you. If it's ok with you, I'd like to start over with a clean slate. So," I said, extending my hand, "my name is Touko."

He stood still for a few seconds, his eyes flashing between my face and my hand. My heart was beating faster than ever. I swallowed. Finally, he grabbed my hand and shook it.

"That sounds good to me."

Instantly all of my tension went away. It was as if I had been lifted from a vat of boiling water and placed in a freezer. My heart slowed, my sweat stopped flowing, and a grin formed over my face. I relaxed and started walking with him.

"I'm Touko," I picked up, "I'm 19, and I'm a sophomore."

"21. Senoir," he replied.

"Cool. I'm from Nuvema Town. What about you?"

"Castelia City."

"Really? So you've lived here your whole life?"

"I have. My father is the manager of Noir Corporation. He designs and manufactures new types of Pokeballs. It's based in Castelia, so that's why I've lived here."

"Wow," I said. "So are you rich?"

"You could say that," he replied. "But my father's very greedy. He's keeping most of the money for himself. So I'm just average."

"Huh. I guess I'm average, too. What are you majoring in?"

"Research. I'm plan on becoming a Pokemon professor."

"Wow. I bet that's hard. I'm majoring in competative battle."

"Oh, really?" he stopped. "I may be a research major, but I know a thing or two about battles."

"Oh good," I thought to myself. Now I had something that interested him.

"Yeah. I want to be the champion."

He chuckled. "Everyone wants to be the champion."

"But I'm actually going to do it."

"We'll see about that." We were silent for a few seconds. "Touko," Touya finally said, "why are you so... nervous when you're around me?"

Oh no. This isn't good. I couldn't tell him the truth. What should I say? He was looking straight at me again. "It's because... because... because I like you."

Why? Why did I say it? My face flushed red. I had ruined it this time for sure. But instead of being angry, he simply laughed.

"Wh-what's so funny?"

"I made you nervous again, didn't I?"

"You're not angry at me?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"

"Well, because of what I just said, and..."

"Oh, come on. I knew you liked me from the second I saw you. It's no secret that you like me." I blushed again. "You're cute when you're nervous."

Just then, the bell rang. "Oh no!" I cried. "I made you late again!"

"Don't worry about it," he said as he started down the hallway. "I'll see you after school!"

I stood alone in the hallway for a minute, thinking about what just happened. In retrospect, I did marvelously. He accepted my apology, and really opened up. From the outside, he was cold. But I think he showed me his true personality today. A grin broke slowly across my face. It grew wider the more I thought about it. I had a feeling that he liked me too. I opened to the door to my next class, and jumped as a ruler smacked down on the desk in front of me.

"Ms. Touko!" shouted the professor. "Late again!"


	5. Chapter 5

Touya

_I'm glad that she decided to do that. I was getting worried that Touko would decide to give up on me after I avoided her yesterday. She seemed very agitated when I drove past her. Maybe it was my smile? I don't know. It doesn't matter now, anyways. Our relationship is off to a great start._

_But there's the problem. Our relationship. I still don't know for sure that it will work out. Like I said before, I have to get to know her better before I get serious with her. If she's the one, then I won't hesitate. But I have to be careful. It's like an old riddle one of my teachers told me. "Life is full of doors, and you're opening them all the time. But be careful which doors you open. If you open the wrong one, all sorts of bad things can come at you." So I have to make sure that this relationship with Touko is the right door._

_And there are still several steps to take before I can be sure. After all, I've only talked to her twice. If this is ever going to take off, I'm going to have to do more than exchange a few short words between classes. But it won't be easy. I already stated that I freeze up around girls I like, so I need to find some way to act naturally around her. The best solution is to forget who I'm talking to. In theory, if I disregard that I'm talking to a goddess and I just talk about things that I like, I should be okay. The problem is, she may not be interested in statistical models of fluctuations of natures in Gengar. I certainly don't want to bore her; that would be a dead end in my plans. But I have no idea what she likes either._

_Perhaps I should challenge her to a battle. It requires little talking, and I can measure her intellectual prestige simultaneously. It won't tell me everything about her, but it's a step in the right direction. Besides, I feel it will make me more comfortable to be around. Yes, a battle is a good decision. If nothing else, it will give some natural conversation material afterwards. I have a vast knowledge of Pokemon battles, so I can forget that I'm speaking with Touko and be natural. I'm sure she wouldn't be bored with them either. It's decided then. After classes tomorrow, I'll meet up with her and challenge her to a battle. Hopefully, I will remember this as a tremendous start to a fruitful relationship._


	6. Chapter 6

Touko

There had been no sign of Touya today. I tried my best to push back the tsunami of vile thoughts about what might have happened. "It's ok," I told myself. "He'll turn up by the end of the day." But now it was the end of the day, and when I didn't see him outside of his classroom, there was no holding back. Was he avoiding her? Did he get transferred_? __Was he dead?_

"No," I told myself. "He's probably just sick." But that didn't seem real to me. Gloomily, I walked out to my car, the horrid hallucinations racing through my head.

Suddenly, I stopped. "Touko!" I heard. My heart jumped. He was calling my name! I whirled around. "Touko!" I heard again. I desperately searched for the source of the voice. Finally, I saw him, about fifty meters away, sprinting towards me.

"Touya!" I cried. He heard, and slowed to a jog. I let out a sigh before chuckling to myself about how ridiculous I was for thinking he was dead.

"Hey," Touya said as he came up to me. "Sorry I couldn't see you today."

"That's alright," I replied.

"I was thinking - " he paused to catch his breath - "I was thinking that we should have a battle."

A battle? I could do that! Finally, something I was good at!

"Sure!" I exclaimed. "Let's go over to the arena."

"Oh no, more walking."

"Don't be such a baby. It's only a couple hundred meters."

The arena, as it was called, was where students went to have battles. It looked like it was plucked out of the Pokemon League and set down in Smogon. It had a massive field completely surrounded by 10 stories of bleachers. Giant pillars supported panels of flood lights. It wasn't very often used; practice battles for classes were carried out in the fields. The arena was mostly used for epic tournaments. Things became more hectic when we battled another school. Smogon is known as the university with the best trainers, and that reputation is well deserved. Rarely has another school beaten us.

Today it was deserted. Touya and I took our places on opposite sides of the field. "Ready to go?" he shouted.

"Ready!" I replied.

"Good!" Touya clutched an ultra ball. "I send out Tyranitar!" He hurled the ultra ball onto the field. A blinding light issued from it and a Tyranitar stood where the ball had been. It stared me down.

"This is it," I thought to myself. "Now's my chance to show what I've got."

"Are you going?" Touya cried.

"Yes! I send out Espeon!" I produced a timer ball from my purse and threw it into the pokeball painted on the grass. It burst open and revealed my Pokemon.

"A Tyranitar," I thought. "Rock and Dark. Both of those are weak to fighting type moves. Espeon has a fighting-type hidden power. That's my best shot."

"Hidden power!" I shouted. The jewel on Espeon's forehead began glowing. She took an offensive stance, swished her tail, and fired off several brilliant orbs. Tyranitar crossed his arms in front of his face just in time. Each orb slammed into him, creating a murky cloud of glowing blue dust. I held my breath. It was a direct hit. Had I knocked it out on the first turn?

A few seconds passed before I made out a writhing shadow. An arm cut through the cloud, sending it away from Tyranitar. "You think you can get rid of me that easily?" Touya taunted. "Pursuit!" Tyranitar charged toward Espeon, claws extended. Espeon crouched down, attempting to dodge. She jumped to the side, but it was too late. Tyranitar swiped her in mid air, flinging her to the wall.

"Espeon!" I cried. It looked like the tables had been turned. I was the one who would be knocked out on the first turn. Tyranitar followed my gaze, watching for any signs of consciousness.

Suddenly, Espeon leaped up and ran over to my side. I exhaled. I still had a shot. I checked Espeon's health on my Pokedex. "18 percent," I whispered. "One more hit like that and you'll be toast."

But there was still a chance. Espeon was faster than Tyranitar. I could hit him again and knock him out. Touya sensed this and his grin disappeared. He reached for his Ultra Ball and pressed the button. Tyranitar vaporized and was sucked away.

"I'm just getting started," Touya said. He clicked the Ultra Ball into its socket on his belt and detached a Dusk Ball. "Go, Metagross!" he shouted. The ball landed in the center of the Pokeball on his side of the field. A swirl of dark clouds exploded from the ball. They quickly faded, revealing the blue behemoth. It was my turn.

"Espeon, hidden power!" As before, Espeon crouched, charged her ruby orb, flicked her tail, and fired. The orbs slammed into the X over Metagross's face. Smoke covered his body, but I could still see his foot in the same place as it was before. If I kept this up, I would be out of it, and quickly.

"73 percent," Touya remarked. "Give me a real fight."

"I'll get you for that," I replied. "Espeon, shadow ball!" A multitude of tiny dark orbs flickered into existence. They quickly turned from points to streaks, all coming together into one apple‐sized sphere above Espeon. She pushed off with her front legs, reared her head, and fired. The orb rocketed forward, forming a dark shock front before exploding across the top of Metagross's face. A deafening boom rocked the stadium. I could tell that hurt.

"Good aim, Espeon!" I cried. Metagross wasn't out of it just yet. He levitated back to his original position and planted his legs firmly in the ground. My smile vanished. I knew what was coming. I saw Touya grab hold of the railing behind him. I did likewise.

"Metagross, Earthquake!" Metagross extended his legs, holding himself in the air for a brief second before crashing to the ground.

"Espeon, look out!" I shouted. The ground shuddered, then vibrated. Massive waves emanated from under Metagross, turning the stadium floor into an ocean. Espeon attempted to leap over one, but was instead knocked backwards. She hit the wall, then went limp. The Earthquake lasted for a few seconds more, then subsided.

"Aaand that's a knock out!" Touya proclaimed.

"Don't think that'll go unpunished!" I shouted.

"Yeah, get him for that!" another voice said. I looked up, startled. A small crowd had gathered in the bleachers. I grinned. Maybe I would be able to prove myself to more than just Touya.

"Let's see how that Metagross holds up to lightning! I choose Jolteon!"

Our battle continued for what seemed like twenty minutes. I kept my promise and punished his team. I finished with four of my six Pokemon standing, eliminating Tyranitar with a powerful Close Combat from Terrakion. The crowd, larger now, cheered at my victory. I bowed clumsily, still beaming. Touya walked over to my side of the field and we shook hands.

"Well played, Touko."

"Thanks," I replied, unable to hold back a blush.

"We should do this more often. It'd be a great way for us to test out our teams."

"Sure!" I said. "I'll battle whenever you want." Something told me that team testing wasn't the only reason he wanted to keep battling.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed in an atypical manner. "I'll get another team together and we'll battle again in a week. Don't expect to win again!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Bye, then!" He started out of the stadium.

"See you tomorrow!" I called.

I went home in a state of ecstasy. I had never felt better about things between us. If I could behave, things might just work out.


	7. Chapter 7

Touya

_Great success! Our battle helped Touko unwind tremendously. I'm certain we're a match. The funny thing is, although I wasn't taking it seriously, I enjoyed my battle with Touko more than I did tournament matches. I suppose winning isn't the only pleasant thing about battles. Maybe I can learn something from this relationship as well._

_Now that my "relationship tests" are over, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that our relationship works out. Battles certainly helped Touko loosen up, but it won't last. So, I'm going to find something that will. I don't know yet, but hopefully I'll know by tomorrow._

_There's another thing I'd like to mention. I've noticed recently that I've been acting differently than before I met Touko. I think that I've become less serious than I used to be. I'm debating whether or not this is a good thing. If I don't remain serious about school, I won't be able to maintain my astronomical grades, and my future as a Pokemon professor could slip away. On the other hand, if I'm too serious, then I'll come off as cold to Touko, which might give her the wrong impression. I realize it's not a binary choice, but it seems very difficult to achieve balance. Both school and Touko are going to require most of my attention and time. Although I never mentioned it, before now, school still occupied most of my time. That was okay, but now that Touko and I are going to get serious, there will be time conflicts. I despise procrastinating, but for this issue, I don't believe I have a choice._

_I have spent too much time pondering this already. It is 11:30; several hours of work lie before me._


	8. Chapter 8

Touko

It was that time of day again: time to meet Touya after classes. I waited for a couple of minutes outside the east wing. I wasn't nervous about him not showing up anymore. My eyes were fixed on the parking lot. Suddenly, a twig snapped behind me, followed by a barely audible curse. I whirled around.

"Don't think you can sneak up on me!" I shouted.

"Sneak up? What do you mean?" Touya replied.

"Cut the crap. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Fine, fine." He paused for a moment. "I have something for you."

"Huh? You bought something?"

"Yeah." He reached into his bag and produced a baseball cap. "Here you go," he said as he handed it to me.

I took it and inspected it. It was white with a pink visor, and had a pink Pokeball icon on the front. It had an adjustable strap on the back. I tried it on and took out my pocket mirror. I was shocked. It improved my appearance drastically. Before, I looked morose, but now I was infinitely more animated.

"Do you like it?" Touya interrupted.

"Of course," I replied. "I look more like a trainer now."

"That's good." He took another hat from his bag and put it on. It was similar to mine, but with a grey visor and Pokeball, and a red front. "Now we match." I couldn't help but chuckle. "There's something else I need to tell - er - ask you."

"Hmm? What do you need?"

"I was wondering if..." He was silent for a minute.

"If what?"

"If you'd... be interested in going to dinner with me."

"You mean like - like a date?"

"Only if you're interested."

"Of course I'm interested!"

"Really? I mean, if it's too much-"

"Shut up! I said yes!"

"Alright! How does The Red Gyarados sound?"

"The Red Gyarados? That's a five star restaurant!"

"I want to take you somewhere special, somewhere you'll remember."

"That'll be perfect!"

"Great! We'll take my car. Follow me."

The Red Gyarados was only a ten minute drive from Smogon. As we drove, the immenseness of what was happening hit me. I was actually going on a date with Touya! My first date was with the boy of my dreams! I could barely contain my excitement. My imagination went wild. We would feast on rare delicacies accompanied by the quiet tune of the piano. Our table would be lit by a candle, and waiters would be buzzing around, catering to our every need. I would be treated like a queen. Afterwards, Touya would drive me home, talking all the while about how we would spend the rest of our lives. Then, when we pulled up to my apartment, we would stand facing each other, drawing ever nearer, putting our arms around each other, staring into each other's eyes - and then -

"We're here!" Touya announced. A man dressed in white held open the door for us. I gasped as we entered. The room was dotted with olive wood tables, attended by guests in elegant dress. Century-old paintings lined the walls. The fragrance of a medley of herbs and sauces wafted in from the kitchen. The melody of a string quartet filled my ears.

"This is even better than I imagined!" I exclaimed.

"Don't forget to remove your hat," Touya added.

A waiter greeted us and sat us near the center of the room. I was silent, still admiring the castle I had been summoned to.

"Ma-am?" a voice asked. I looked in its direction. Our waiter was bent over, pen in hand. "What would you like tonight?"

"Oh. Sorry. I'll have the Slowpoke Tail."

"Very well. And you, sir?"

Touya glanced at me, then flashed his signature grin. "I'll have what the lady is having," he answered. I blushed. The waiter departed.

"You're too kind," I said.

"There's no such thing."

"Do you think that I fit in? I mean, with the other people here? I don't have any expensive dresses or jewelry or anything like that."

"Touko?"

"What?"

"You stand out. In a good way. You don't have the most elaborate dress, but you have something that nobody else does: natural beauty. And that makes you far more desirable than anyone else." I blushed again.

The food was the best I had ever tasted. I savored every moment, wanting it to last forever. Today counted among the happiest days in my life, after being born and before getting my first Pokemon. Everything was perfect. When the time came to leave, Touya happily payed the one-hundred and thirty-eight dollars I had owed. I supposed he was right; there was no such thing as being too kind. It was dark outside, the blazing beacons of downtown Castelia creating an artificial dusk on the horizon. We were silent for the entire drive home, but I was anticipating the best event of the night.

After an eternity, we arrived at my apartment. Touya came to my side and opened the door for me. We stood together on the sidewalk for a minute, my heart pounding out of my chest.

"Thanks for everything," I whispered. "I really enjoyed it." He stared into my eyes, and gave his signature smile. I lost control of myself. My arms moved up his back and found themselves around his neck. My lips parted, my eyes closed, and our lips met.

The next moment is forever etched into my memory. I felt an inexpressible warmness being stirred up inside of me. Everything began to melt away, the city, the Earth, and the stars, until all that was left of the universe was us, two star-crossed lovers sharing their first kiss. The ancient fires of passion, so long subdued, were at last rekindled and shone forth with a brilliant light. At one time, our lips parted, but neither of us were satisfied, and so we kissed again. I had dreamed of this moment for years. Having it finally be fulfilled cannot be described with words.

After we had had our fill, we parted and gazed at each other. Tears of joy were filling my eyes. I buried my head in his chest. He gently stroked my back.

"I never knew that a kiss could be so magical," Touya said after a long time.

"Th - that was your first kiss too?" He nodded. I had never imagined that I was Touya's first lover.

"I told you before, you are imbued with natural beauty. Nothing can compare to that."

"I love you." The words flowed naturally from my mouth. I had never thought them.

"I love you," Touya replied.

Those were our last words to each other that night. Nothing else needed to be said. I quietly entered my apartment, set my hat on my dresser, changed, and gave myself up to the wild fantasies of sleep, tonight sailing on the endless sea of bliss.


	9. Chapter 9

Touya

_Last night was one of the most extraordinary nights I've ever had. I haven't had a wink of sleep. I was far too busy contemplating the incomprehensible nature of love. I had always believed infatuation to be a loathsome thing, blurring the endowment of rational thinking. Now, that vision has been shaken to its foundations. My first encounter with love has provided a thrill unlike any I have ever experienced before. It is a completely new way of living; one which places judgement in the heart instead of the brain. For the first time, I made decisions not because they were the most likely to lead to success, but because they were what I judged to be right. Until I have dwelt far longer on this matter, I cannot explain in any coherent manner what this entails._

_Rational thinking is a relatively new thing, a product of ten million years of evolution. It has undoubtedly taken humans a very long way, allowing us to become masters of this planet. As much as I wish to consider myself perfect and completely free of unnecessary desires, I have found that there is still a product of my ancient ancestors left inside of me, an archaic feeling designed to ensure the survival and continuation of the species. This feeling is not absolute. It is simply a chain of chemical reactions and electrical signals. Yet, it provides a new experience, a new sensation, a sort of warmness and sense of fulfillment. Love, and any emotion for that matter, does not make sense. But without them, life would be empty. People would be computers, and although society would function absolutely perfectly and humans would achieve far more than we can dream of, there would be no happiness. Without imperfection, there is no desire to live._

_I suppose I have had what some might call an epiphany, or a shift of paradigms. This is yet another thing I have Touko to thank for. These past few weeks, I have learned much more from her than I have from years of study, without her meaning to teach me a thing. She has no idea how much she has influenced me, and there is no way that I can ever repay her for it. Perhaps the greatest moment of all was our kiss, that moment when the doors I had been trying so desperately hard to open flung themselves wide and revealed the greatest secret of the universe. I am still in awe of the rush of emotions I experienced when our lips met. I now recognize our relationship as the single most important thing in my life. It must continue, and grow._

_I suppose this is the answer to my previous question. I value Touko more than I do school. However, I don't feel that this will have a negative impact on my work. Indeed, the opposite is true. Because love has entered my life, I now have a far stronger desire to live and prosper. I feel that I will work much harder and achieve far more than I ever could before._

_There is only one thing that troubles me. I have come to learn that there is a thin line between insanity and genius. How am I to know if my epiphany is truly the secret of life, or if it is the road to failure? It surely feels to be the former, but I have no proof. I recall a saying a former teacher left me with. "The difference between insanity and genius is measured only by success." It's taking a risk, but the only way to test whether this new philosophy is truly robust is to test it. So, I will continue my blissful relationship with Touko, and see where it leads me. If it leads me to failure, I will painfully and broken‐heartedly lay it to rest. But if it leads me to success, I will consider myself the happiest and luckiest man alive._

_It is early morning. I must postpone my dwellings on this matter until a later time. I can only imagine what wonders, what riches, what surprises await me today, the day of judgement._


End file.
